Housing is an issue that every community in the state struggles with, including the Monadnock Region.
At the Greater Keene Chamber of Commerce Regional Issues Series last Thursday, experts from the state, regional and local levels came together to share ideas, talk about strategies and get an idea from those in the local communities what the most pressing concerns are when it comes to housing.
Chamber President Phil Suter said that no matter where he goes and who he talks to, somehow the topic of housing comes up in conversation.
Peterborough Selectwoman Karen Hatcher said that the town established a community task force to address the issue of housing as a way to help bridge the divide when it comes to zoning issues
“Community conversations, community education, community engagement isn’t a one-time thing,” Hatcher said.
The idea of community is ever changing and it comes down to staying connected, building trust and establishing a fabric that can lead to more issues if not addressed, Hatcher said.
The issue of affordable housing has been around for years and it’s not something that will soon go away and it affects the economy and individual communities. The idea that affordable housing is just a connotation for those who make a lower end income or the elderly on a fixed income is not the case. There are young families looking to purchase their first home or professionals in need of housing to relocate for employment. Often times, the young families are the ones saddled with student debt.
Keith Thibault, chief development officer of Southwestern Community Services, said that every town, every city, every planning and zoning board needs to make housing a priority.
“Often housing is viewed as an individual issue,” Thibault said. “But housing is truly a community issue. It’s the responsibility of a community as a whole.”
George Reagan, the community engagement manager at New Hampshire Housing Finance Authority, used data collected to show where New Hampshire stands when it comes to supply of housing.
“There’s a real significant demand especially on the rental side,” Reagan said.
Reagan said there is currently a 20,000 unit deficit in the state and “it’s tough to find units in more rural areas.”
“Renter incomes just have not kept pace,” Reagan said. “And there’s an impact on the economy.”
Reagan pointed to the challenges facing builders as they try to produce new homes and developments and it’s not just when it comes to approval from towns. Reagan said there are issues finding the right labor and the cost of materials as two barriers, as well as the right properties.
“There’s a scarcity of people building houses,” Reagan said.
During a public comment portion of the event, Ivy Vann pointed to three projects in the works in Peterborough to show ways that new housing can be a plus for the town.
Those projects are being constructed on existing streets with water and sewer connections that Vann said will bring in a minimum of $200,000 in new tax revenue each year without creating added costs in terms of infrastructure liability.
Carol Ogilvie, a municipal planning consultant based in Peterborough, said that the 82 units covering five projects in town are nothing but a win. But if fairly new zoning ordinances weren’t in place, the projects would have been restricted to rural districts.
Bill Hutwelker, a realtor with Masiello in Keene and a selectman in Swanzey, said there’s a real need to encourage development.
“Help us attract the people that we need to keep our schools vibrant and our economy vibrant,” Hutwelker said. “We implement zoning to restrict development, where as in a place like Florida, they implement zoning to encourage development.”
Reagan said there is a real problem with an aging supply of housing. In addition to high rental costs and purchase prices, the upkeep and monthly expenses can make a portion of the housing market unattainable for people.
Erika Alusic-Bingham of Southern New Hampshire Services, who serves portions of Hillsborough County, said that high costs make it difficult for people to find housing that allows them the necessary income to pay for the rest of the typical monthly expenses.
“Some are almost paying everything they make to pay for their housing,” Alusic-Bingham said.
Hope Pettegrew, a volunteer with Monadnock Area Transitional Shelter, said that homelessness is a consistent issue that needs to be addressed.
“Part of the problem in every community is that people don’t know there are homeless people in every community,” Pettegrew said. “That’s the conversation we need to have as well.”
The lack of public transportation is also a factor said Ellen Avery, executive director at Community Volunteer Transportation Company.
The next step is to determine how best to address the problems in a unified way that leads to more housing that can be available to everyone.
“It’s people, it’s places, it’s economy and it’s not one size fits all,” Reagan said. “Do we know what people want? And how do we get it?”